Depression Checklist

How do I know if I am depressed or just having some down days?  You can go to the depression checklist to rate you symptoms.

 Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood -  The keyword here is persistent.  We all have down days but when the days turn into weeks despite efforts to turn things around and when this down time is combined with other symptoms the there is cause for concern.

 Sleeping to little or too much - When you wake tired despite getting enough sleep, also when you have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, or early morning awakenings, then it could be depression.

 Changes in weight or appetite - weight that either increases or decreases by 10% or more or appetite changes (either and increase or decrease) could be a sign of depressed mood.

 Loss of pleasure or interest in activities - withdrawing from people and social events, neglecting a garden or hobby, just feeling “blah” or “don’t care” all can be danger signs.

 Feeling restless or irritable - whether is starts looking like PMS or just being “crabby”, if it isn’t typical for you to feel this way for a prolonged period, it is time to check it out with a trusted professional.

 Persistent physical symptoms that don’t respond to treatment - pain in the neck, shoulders, back, legs that just isn’t going away is often related to stress or depression.

 Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions - have you been sitting at your and desk realizing that time has past and you haven’t completed a task that might have ordinarily taken little time?  Have you been procrastinating more lately?  Perhaps you have forgotten important dates or appointments.  Depression could be affecting your performance.

 Fatigue or loss of energy – feeling tired even after a good night’s sleep, running out of energy when the task is not physically or mentally challenging.

 Feeling guilty, hopeless, or worthless – This can be the most difficult symptom to identify.  Often trying to find explanations for these feelings that seem reasonable to us but not to others.  If other people in your life are encouraging you to get help, listen to them.  You don’t have to continue these feelings.  There is always hope!

 Thoughts of suicide or death - Even you know that you would not actually kill yourself, it is important to talk with someone about the thoughts.  If the thoughts are getting strong enough you are thinking about a plan, it is most likely clinical depression.  It is treatable and can be overcome.  You don’t have to continue to feel these strong feelings.  There is always hope!

This checklist is intended only for the purpose of identifying symptoms of depression, and not designed to prescribe a diagnosis or treatment.  Only a qualified healthcare professional can make a diagnosis or determine treatment.

View a printable version of tis checklist.